Remember that part of <a title="The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy" target="_blank"><em>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</em></a> where they can't see the interior of a spaceship because it's black on black with black buttons that light up black to let you know when you've done something? If only gray were as sexy. We recently tested the new <a title="Honda Accord" href="http://automobiles.honda.com/accord/" target="_blank">Honda Accord</a>--the mainstay of fuel-efficient family sedans--and were just bored spitless by its gray on grayness with gray accents. Why should you keep reading about a car this mind-smashingly gray? Despite its spectacular grayness, it's a good car (and you can order it in a color). Honda has been making this $20,000 sedan for decades now, and the company is famous for reliability and fuel efficiency without requiring hybrid tech to achieve it. Read on to learn more about the Accord's Econ mode.

1

Honda Accord Instrument Cluster Display

Allow us to attempt a little artistry with this shot. The details are all very nicely done, they're just so... yeah. Gray.

2

Honda Accord Lead

You know you're in trouble when the biggest splash of color on your test vehicle is the UV tint of the windows.

3

Honda Accord Grille

Still, the Accord has some nice body lines, and still seems to be as well-made as ever.

4

Honda Accord Headlight

The Accord has nice headlights, and there is a colored light bar added to the plug-in version that spruces things up a bit.

5

Honda Accord Mirror

Exactly.

6

Honda Accord Driver Door

And yet, these doors are well-constructed, there are speakers and electric-everything controls on the doors and in the cockpit. It's a lot of car for $20k.

7

Honda Accord Driver Door Speaker

The fit and finish is always good on a Honda, down to these details.

8

Honda Accord Driver Door Controls

If anyone can make these seat preset buttons work, please let us know how.

9

Honda Accord Driver Door Controls 2

Smooth windows, electric mirrors. It's not all bad. Like we said. Lots of car.

10

Honda Accord Front Row

One thing we will say for the Accord is that it has tons of interior room. That front seat can go way back and still leave room for passengers in the spacious and wide back seat.

11

Honda Accord Cockpit

How many colors of gray can you spot in this photo?

12

Honda Accord Econ Button

Ah! Green! That wasn't so hard, Honda, was it? Lane Departure Warning is on the bottom left, a feature usually found in higher end cars.

13

Honda Accord Instrument Cluster

Move along. Nothing to see here.

14

Honda Accord Steering Wheel

Nice steering wheel, though, with a good feel in your hands.

15

Honda Accord Start Button

Red start buttons rock. But it's too little too late.

16

Honda Accord Center Stack

Top is the screen for two different fuel mileage tracking menus, radio display, and a digital clock. Second from the top is another screen with touch controls and knobs by which you can control radio sources, adjust settings, and the like. We're not clear on why there are two screens, though. It's anything but intuitive. Some screens have to be controlled by a button on the steering wheel.

17

Honda Accord Center Console

Okay, nice gear shift, decent transmission, heated seats, plenty of room for your stuff. In this area of the car, all is well.

18

Honda Accord Nav Screen 1

Toggle through the menus using the buttons below the screen.

19

Honda Accord Nav Screen 2

Adjust settings....

20

Honda Accord Nav Screen Radio

The radio station is displayed on this upper screen, but it's displayed in a different and more useful way on the screen below where the controls are located. Built by committee, you can count on it.

21

Honda Accord Fuel Efficiency

Back to the good stuff! The Accord has two great menus for tracking current real-time, average, and past trip fuel efficiency. It works well, and you'll be happy with the numbers you're seeing.

22

Honda Accord Audio Screen

The touch screen, where you can choose radio source, then scan through radio stations either by AM or FM numbers or by genre in XM.

23

Honda Accord HVAC

All is well in the HVAC system as well. Sleek, extremely easy to use. And two hints of color.

24

Honda Accord Headliner

The weather obliged us by raining constantly while we were driving this gray-mobile, so we can't comment on the sunroof. Just happy that it is there.

25

Honda Accord Sunroof

There are some details like the sunroof cover that seem a little cheaply made, allowing Honda to offer you an Acura at a lower price point. No serious corners cut, though.

26

Honda Accord Passenger Door

Nice shapes, right? Maybe if you can get it in a color it will look as good as it should.

27

Honda Accord Rear Quarter

The taillights have a nice detail where they light up along the bottom in an angled bar. It's nice. So many nice details on this car, but they don't exactly show off for you.

28

Honda Accord Trunk

Good storage space, nicely made trunk lid. This car will last and last.

29

Honda Accord Cargo

We ran a whole series of errands in this car and never even remotely ran out of space in any area of the car. Need to layer a child's wheelbarrow on top of a camera case and groceries? Sure, we can do that.

30

1/30

Honda Accord Side

Remember that part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy where they can't see the interior of a spaceship because it's black on black with black buttons that light up black to let you know when you've done something? If only gray were as sexy. We recently tested the new Honda Accord--the mainstay of fuel-efficient family sedans--and were just bored spitless by its gray on grayness with gray accents. Why should you keep reading about a car this mind-smashingly gray? Despite its spectacular grayness, it's a good car (and you can order it in a color). Honda has been making this $20,000 sedan for decades now, and the company is famous for reliability and fuel efficiency without requiring hybrid tech to achieve it. Read on to learn more about the Accord's Econ mode.